Less than 24 hours after claim to be "ready to lead", Nancy Pelosi demonstrates that she really doesn't have a clue what the concept means.

"Nancy Pelosi wants total party discipline," a source in the Democratic Party leadership said. "If you played ball with the Republicans during this session, then you're not going to be given an important chair in the next session."

As the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Ms. Harman was expected to become chairman of the powerful committee. But Ms. Pelosi is expected to pass over Ms. Harman for either Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida or Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas, the second- and third-ranking Democrats on the intelligence panel.

The 42-member Congressional Black Caucus has been pushing for Mr. Hastings, an impeached federal judge, to become chairman. Earlier this year, the caucus was upset by Ms. Pelosi's decision to expel Rep. William Jefferson from the committee after he was accused of accepting bribes.

"There is no seniority on the Intelligence Committee," Ms. Pelosi said. "The leader or the speaker can appoint a whole new set of people."

The sources said the 61-year-old Ms. Harman, regarded as the best informed House Democrat on intelligence and technology issues, angered the liberal Ms. Pelosi by supporting the Bush administration’s policies on defense issues, particularly the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act. They said Ms. Pelosi has rebuffed lobbyists in the pro-Israel community and defense industry that sought a chairmanship for Ms. Harman.

"If Nancy Pelosi's apparent determination to deny Jane Harman the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee to appease the Black Caucus is any indication, Democratic control is not going to be good news for those who believe in competent oversight of the national-security apparatus," said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst at the Lexington Institute.

Obviously anyone who believes a word that comes out Ms. Pelosi's mouth is a fool, which I guess explains the news media. Even as she is spewing crap out bi-partisanship, she is engaging in Soprano's-style revenge on Jane Harman for--that's right--for not being partisan enough.

Alcee Hastings? The Democrats are completely shameless. Not only is it possible for a impeached former federal judge to get elected a Democrat, but you can become chairman of the House Intelligence Committee because you've been a good soldier, and oh--you're black.

Corruption among Democrats we take for granted. Now apparently we'll add incompetence.